When our founding fathers gave us our Constitution, we made a commitment to ourselves that we would uphold the Preamble, protect Fundamental Rights and gradually bring into reality the people’s aspirations contained in the Directive Principles.
In all our legislations before the nineties, there is invariably some reference to the Preamble, Constitutional goals and the Directive Principles.
After the Uruguay Round, India (through its executive) accepted the obligations in GATT/TRIPS, which is institutionalised in the form of WTO, by signing the treaty in 1994. It did so without taking into account that it was making a commitment without the peoples’ will.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Soft Drinks- Hard Realities
By the middle of this century “at worst 7 billion people in 60 countries and at best 2 billion people in 48 countries will be water scarce”. (The Hindu dated 16th May, 2004).
The world water-crisis paints a very grim picture.
India is among nine countries which account for 60% of the world’s natural fresh water.
But unfortunately, water resources in our country are being polluted by the industrial effluents, untreated sewerage; ground water is contaminated by heavy use of pesticides and dumping of toxic wastes; there are no efforts made to recharge the natural aquifers; the lakes and ponds which used to exist in our towns/villages are being covered up by the builders in connivance with local authorities.
The world water-crisis paints a very grim picture.
India is among nine countries which account for 60% of the world’s natural fresh water.
But unfortunately, water resources in our country are being polluted by the industrial effluents, untreated sewerage; ground water is contaminated by heavy use of pesticides and dumping of toxic wastes; there are no efforts made to recharge the natural aquifers; the lakes and ponds which used to exist in our towns/villages are being covered up by the builders in connivance with local authorities.
The Basmati Debacle
A strong public movement is needed to fight international bio-pirates
Recently the issue of Basmati Rice Patent dominated the debate in the Parliament as well as in the newspapers. Several articles including editorials appeared in prominent newspapers telling us a story with different, even contradictory versions. Some patted the Government for the victory on Basmati Patent, others however condemned and marked it as a defeat.
Recently the issue of Basmati Rice Patent dominated the debate in the Parliament as well as in the newspapers. Several articles including editorials appeared in prominent newspapers telling us a story with different, even contradictory versions. Some patted the Government for the victory on Basmati Patent, others however condemned and marked it as a defeat.
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